Cigarette extinguisher



Sept. 22, 1959 G. c. CROOM 2,905,185

CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER Filed Sept. 2, 1958 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER Grover Cleveland Croom, Little Rock, Ark.

Application September 2, 1958, Serial No. 758,466

2 Claims. (Cl. 131-235) The present invention relates to an improved device for extinguishing cigarettes by removing the burning portion of the cigarette in an eifective and expeditious manner without serious damage to the cigarette.

Heretofore, numerous cigarette extinguishers have been proposed for use with ashtrays and the like but, so far as I am aware, they are either (1) of the open snuifer receptacle type, (2) of the type where the lighted end of the cigarette is rubbed over a surface or over the edges of an opening, or (3) of the type where the cigarette is dropped or placed in a noninfiammable liquid or in a granular material. The latter type is eflicacious and practical when used with large receptacles but not with the small table type ashtrays, or those used in automobiles, airplanes and the like. The open snuifer receptacle type usually does not permit access to the unused portion of an extinguished cigarette to be retrieved for re-use; and the rubbing type of extinguisher has two drawbacks-in that, (1) often sparks or embers from the rubbed lighted end of the cigarette fall or are blown onto the table or the like, onto upholstery of vehicle seats, clothing, carpet or other floor covering, causing damage in greater or lesser degree, and (2) seriously damages the unused portion of the cigarette so that it cannot be re-lighted and smoked.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved device that may be incorporated in ashtrays of different types, particularly of the smaller type, and which will remove the combusting end of a lighted cigarette therefrom and permit it to drop into the tray without any portion of the burning material splattering from the extinguisher to cause fire-damage while preserving the usable unconsumed portion of the cigarette for further smoking.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an improved cigarette extinguisher which is very simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Broadly stated, the above objects are accomplished by providing a tubular part or member opened at least at one end and adapted to receive a cigarette therein, the interior surface of the tube or passage having a triangular opening formed by three metal strips, said strips extending from the inner walls of said passage about midway of its length, said strips having knife or cutting edges, whereby when the lighted end of a cigarette is inserted in an end of the tubular part or member, the lighted end of the cigarette is brought into contact with the three strips or triangular opening, by rotating the cigarette about its axis, the strips cut olf the combusting end or embers which drop therefrom into the bottom end of the tube into a suitable ashtray. The tube retains the undamaged remainder of the unburned cigarette so that the same may be resmoked, if desired.

The above and other objects and features of the invention and advantages thereof will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as now devised and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichice Figure 1 is a top plan view of an extinguisher in accordance with the present invention and of the type adapted to be secured to a so-called deep well ashtray or receptable;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing the cigarette extinguisher positioned with respect to a deep well ashtray, the latter being shown in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the cigarette extinguisher in accordance with the present invention, taken substantially on line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of a tray-type ashtray equipped with extinguishers of the present invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings in which like characters refer to similar and like parts throughout the several views, 10 denotes a tubular member open at its ends and having the passage 11 therethrough, generally, of a diameter to receive a cigarette. While the tube may be of uniform cross section, it is preferred that the walls of the tube flare outwardly from about a mid portion of its length, said flared end forming the upper end of the tube in use. Disposed about midway of the length of the tube, and within the same, are three metal strips 12 projecting radially from the interior surface of the tube for a distance inwardly of the tube, the edges of the strips not extending to the opposite wall, said strips obstructing the passage of a cigarette therethrough. The strips provide cutting edges so that, when a lighted cigarette is inserted in the flared upper end a of the tube and allowed to rest upon the strips, the lighted end of the cigarette is severed by rotating the cigarette about its axis, the severed burning material or embers dropping through the open bottom end b of the tube into a suitable receptacle to which the tube is attached. It will be clear that the remaining portion of the cigarette will be retained in the tube until it is removed for resmoking when relighted, or other disposition is made of it.

A cigarette extinguished in the above manner is easier to light again and has less odor and taste of burned cigarette.

The extinguisher of the present invention may be made of any suitable non-inflammable material such as metal, fiber resins, or ceramic materials and may be easily molded or fashioned therefrom, as shown particularly in Figures 1 and 2, the cigarette extingmisher may be provided with a laterally extending arm 13 which forms a bracket by which the extinguisher may be suitably secured (such as by welding, rivets or screws, not shown) to a so-called deep well receptacle or ashtray w commonly used in automobiles and airplanes; or, as shown in Figure 4, the tube may be attached to a table ashtray t, the tube being attached to the end of a rectangular strip of metal extending from the bottom and inner surface of the bowl of the ashtray 14 in Figure 4. 15 is a notch for holding a cigarette. A similar device is used on most ashtrays.

For convenience in manufacturing, the three thin metal strips, or segments of a circle, are soldered together, forming a circle. The circumference of the circle is imbedded into inner walls of the tube for a distance. This is shown at 12 of Figure 3.

This extinguisher can be used on almost any type of tray. The flared upper part of the tube allows easy insertion of a cigarette.

From the above detailed description it should be clear that the objects of the invention are obtained by the con struction shown and described. The tube 10, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 is relatively short and may be one inch in length, more or less, may be supported in any suitable manner on an ashtray.

Having thus described the invention and the manner in Which the same is to be performed, it is to be under: stood that variations and modifications in the specific construction shown and described may be made without de artin from tnes'pirit of the inventionor the scope of theapp'nded claims,

- That which is claimed, as new and 16 Be secured By Letters Patent, is:

I. A 'sniekeis' applianee, for removing the embers from a lighted cigarette Without bendin the cigarette, comprisin a member having a tinnnar passage therethrough opened at least at one of its ends into which a cigarette maybe inserted, having three rhefal' strips extefidifi'g radially inwardly thereef lit a C'Gm'iififi 1515116 and projecting for a distance from said suffaee' to 6bst tuct the movement of a cigarette through said passage, the strips having edges arranged to provide a triangular opening,- the edges of said strips forming cutting edges, whereby when a lighted cigarette is inserted into said passage and rotated about its axis, the burning embers are removed therefrom.-

2. A smokers appliance comprising an ash receiving receptacle, having a cigarette extinguisher therewithin,

said extinguisher including a tubular passage having an upper entrance end and a lower exit end discharging into said receptacle and being dimensioned to accommodate and guide a cigarette lengthwise thereinto, three metal strips projecting radially inwardly thereof in a common plane into said passage for a distance to partially obstruct said passage and extending from one diametric point in said passage to substantially an opposite side, not reaching the wall, said strips having cutting edges, whereby, when the lighted end of a cigarette is inserted into said passage and rotated about its axis, the embers are removed from the remainder of the cigarette and drop into said receptacle and the remainder of the cigarette is retained in said extinguisher for reuse or disposal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

